Planting God's Word in the Hearts of Families

When we went to Convention we came across this great ministry that helps strengthen families. Here is what their hearts desire is for this ministry: Planting God's Word in the Hearts of Families Here is their monthly newsletter and check out their website for more ideas! Click Here for Website January 2012

Children, obey your parents  in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”  (this is the first commandment  with a promise),“that it may go  well with you and that you may  live long in the land.” Fathers,  do not provoke your children  to anger, but bring them up  in the discipline and  instruction of the Lord.                           Ephesians 6:1-4 READ IT Read Ephesians 6:1-4 as a family. Earlier in the book of Ephesians (5:21), Paul lets his readers know they are to submit to one another “out of reverence for Christ.”  So, no one is confused what that means, Paul goes on to outline how God intends us to obey the authority He gives here on earth.  God provides people in authority over us to care for us.  In Ephesians 6:1-4, Paul outlines the authority parents have over their children.  He references the fifth commandment (“Honor your father and mother. . .” Exodus 20:12), but says that more than simply honoring our parents, we should “obey” them.  Are honoring and obeying different, or are they the same?  Honoring something means that we value it.  Obeying means that we listen and do what we are told.  So, honoring our parents is what God tells us first to do in the Ten Commandments.  By honoring them, we will be motivated to obey the instructions our parents give. These verses also talk to moms and dads about how to guide children.  Paul instructs fathers to not anger their children.  As Pastor D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said in the 1960s when preaching on these verses, “When you are disciplining a child, you should have first controlled yourself. If you try to discipline your child when you are in a temper, it is certain that you will do more harm than good.”  Rather than bark angry orders at children, a parent is to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."  This actually means to provide very tender guidance or nourishment to a child. TRY IT Let’s have some fun practicing what it means to listen and obey.  Play a game similar to Simon Says with a twist—call it Mom and Dad Say, or something of your choosing.  Parents, make a list of “instructions” to give your children.  Mix silly instructions with more serious ones (examples:  walk like a duck, pat your head, quote your favorite verse, sing a song, tell me about your day, etc).    Only say “Mom and Dad Say” before instructions you really desire for your children--be sure to include fun options in this mix.  You want obedience to also be joyful. Talk with your family about how there are many instructions and voices each of them hear during the day.  Tell your children that God has chosen to protect and equip them by providing parents.  They don’t have to listen to the voices that would ask them to do destructive or disrespectful things—God has instructed them to listen to and obey you as their parents.  Talk about things people who aren’t their parents might ask them to do that might not be good for them. LIVE IT In London 50 years ago, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached  through the book of Ephesians for Sunday after Sunday-- eventually filling 8 volumes of books.  His sermons on  Ephesians 6:1-4 are now an excellent parenting book,  Raising Children God’s Way.  Those sermons emphasized  how God intends all other structures of society to begin  with the family.  “The home is the fundamental unit of  society, and children are born into a home, into a family.  There you have the circle that is to be the chief influence  in their lives. There is no question about that. It is  the biblical teaching everywhere; and it is always in  so-called civilizations where ideas concerning the  home begin to deteriorate that society ultimately  disintegrates."   These are heavy concepts for a  young family, but it is interesting to get everyone  in your family to think on the circles of influence  mentioned by Dr. Lloyd-Jones.  Take a large sheet of paper and draw a circle  on it.  Write “Our Family” in the center.  Have  everyone write words or draw pictures in the  circle to describe how the family influences  (directs, teaches, encourages, helps) them.   Then draw circles around the family (like the rings  of a tree) and talk about the other structures that  influence them (church, school, country/government,  world).  Discuss how important it is for your family  to study the Bible together so you don’t obey those  who would lead you away from what God desires.   JOIN THE SEEDS SOWER CLUB Do you know about our Seeds Sower Club? It's a great  way to tell your friends about Seeds, offer friends a discount,  AND earn free CDs for your family.  Email Michelle to  learn more - (michelle@seedsfamilyworship.com).

Give Me Jesus

No matter what your past has been, no matter where your road is headed... at anytime God is waiting for you to take His hand... All you need to do is say... Give me Jesus.... 

All My Fountains

I am LOOOOVING this rain!!! It makes me think of a Beth

 Moore Conference that we went to last year with worship by 

Travis Cottrell. He sang this song and I've looked everywhere 

and just cannot find it but it went... "Rain down on me, rain 

down on me Lord!" Beth had talked about letting the rain of 

God pour onto us to cleanse the old and make new and that 

we go through these seasons just asking "ok God, rain down 

on me". So everytime it rains I think of that song and start 

singing! Plus if you know me, rain and my family is special to 

us so I just LOVE it!!!!

Well I posted this above message on fb and one of my best 

girlfriends found it!!! YAY!!!! Music means so much to me and 

I just LOOOOOOOVE this song!!!

Take 3 minutes to refuel in God with this song! Give him 

whatever you are dealing with this morning and turn this song 

up! I guarantee it will change your heart today!

See you all tomorrow for MOPS!!!!!

Time to start thinking and planning for Valentine's Day!

Check out these cute ideas I've come across....Start planning NOW friends... =)

 

From one of my FAVORITE blogs...Love Actually

gives such fun and creative ideas on keeping marriage fun!

Here they have a cute idea for a "Love Note Messenger" AKA: Your pet

If you have a pet, why not include them in your Valentine's plans this year? Or, if you've got your Valentine's festivities all planned out already, save this for a just a fun and quick midweek romance tip!

Attach a little love note to your pet's collar right before your spouse will be returning from being away from home. Imagine their surprise to be greeted not only by your pet, but by a special love note! Who can resist that?

This is a fun idea to plan a night with your kiddos to celebrate Valentine's Day

Source: Workman Family

Use a cookie cutter and you are ALL set!~ She also did it for ingredients in her salad.

For those who have kids like mine who LOVE pancakes. Make them some heart shaped pancakes.

(Source: Boat Shoes)

Or how about some cute fruit kabobs

(Source: Be Different Act Normal)

Smarty Pants

Are you a Pinterest lover too??? Well one of my my boards is called "Smarty Pants". I have gathered some great ideas from some smart cookies out there. Here's a few that I thought would be fun to share.

These ideas came from Real Simple

Cupcake Liners that catch those popsicle drips!

Zippered Bed Linen Bag as Art Supply Carrier

Cupcake Liner as Ice Cream Bowl

Serve ice cream at parties without the drips. Freeze individual scoops in liners the night before.

Dish Rack as Art Supply Organizer

Organize coloring books in the main basket and corral crayons, pencils, and markers in the silverware holder.

Egg Carton as Paint Palette

Create a custom paint palette for an afternoon art session.

Makeup Case as Art Supply Storage

Now that your travel toiletries have taken up residence in a plastic bag, stash markers and colored pencils where the makeup brushes used to, and tuck stickers and stamps into the case's smaller compartments.

Storybook Pages as Placemats

Add some character(s) to a table setting by sandwiching favorite storybook pages between lamination sheets (available at office-supply stores). Catchy text and colorful pictures (think Dr. Seuss and nursery rhymes) are especially attention-grabbing.

How to Fix your broken powder makeup

If you happen to break you powder makeup, you can easily fix it with alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and patience! This works for any kind of powder based makeup, such as bronzers, blot powders, eyeshadows, whatever! All you need is a few drops of alcohol into your broken powder compact. Usually it would be said to use 75%+ based alcohol, but this is because the more alcohol concentrate, the faster it dries. Any percentage of alcohol will do though, because I like to leave it out to dry overnight. Don't worry about the alcohol staying in the powder and causing your skin to dry out, it will completely evaporate. Alcohol dries very quickly that is why it is recommended for use on new wounds on your body, because it evaporates very fast and leaves little residue. The odor will also go away.

So how does it work?

Here are the steps!

• Add a few small drops into your broken powder makeup compact or casing.

• After you add the alcohol to the broken powder you will notice it seep into the powder causing it to become soft.

• Smudge the soft soaking powder around, making it into a paste-like substance and re-form it by smoothing it out with your finger. You will know exactly what to do!

• You can then smooth the surface out with the bottom of a spoon if you choose to, but remember that it does not have to be perfect to work perfectly.

• Let it dry overnight for best results.

(Source)

This is genius! Attaches the phone cord to the night stand!

(Source)

Use a soapbox so your camera or ipod won't get damaged in your purse - or turn itself on! - why didn't I think of this??

(Source)

Homemade frozen yogurt Popsicles...Genius!

Cut a slit in the top of the yogurt container and insert a plastic spoon. Freeze over night, and then peel back cover. Warm the cup with your hands or some warm water, and pull out your Popsicle.

(Source)

Smart Pancake Solution

(Source)

Dryer sheet used as a scum buster in the bathroom

(Source)

Nail Polish as Key Coder

(Source)

some ideas are so smart!

Long after the last coats have dried on your new paint job, you can still have easy access to the color names and numbers for touch-ups. Save the wooden stirrers you used to mix the paint, let them dry, and then write the names and numbers of the colors on the ends of the sticks. 

(Source)

Ice Cube Tray as Sunburn Soother - Freeze cubes of aloe

 vera for instant sunburn relief when you forget the SPF.

(Source)

Enjoy!

DATING YOUR HUSBAND: The Crayon Date! Start Planning

The Crayon Date

Ok Girls, it's time to start planning your "Date Night- IN"! This date idea comes from one of my all time favorite blogs....The Happy Home Fairy. She has the best ideas and printables. Here is her idea for the Crayon Date (photos & credit go to The Happy Home Fairy). Make sure visit her page for all sorts of other great ideas! Click on the title above to take you there. 

After you've got the kids in bed light some candles and Grab 2 large sheets of white paper and your child's crayons. Then set up 2 chairs facing each other at the dining room table. Inform your hubby that you two are going to be crayola-ing some portraits of one another. Then when you both are done do the big reveal!

Here are "The Happy Home Fairy's " photos of her and her hubby from the Crayon Date. So cute and so fun!








 
She goes on to say... You can bet I hung our works of art on the fridge right away.

In the morning when the Happy Buddy discovered them, he burst out laughing at the drawing of yours truly, claiming it to be a “Silly picture of Mommy!” and that Daddy’s picture was “All clean.

Happy Crayon Date-ing!

Strengthening your Marriage!

It's a NEW Year and that means it's a clean slate! Don't feel bad if you've already broken your New Year's Resolutions. Today is a new day... get up and try again. 

One thing that I want to do this year is work harder for my marriage. It's so easy to put our marriage on the back burner because you know your spouse will always love you and be there for you no matter what. But that's not really a marriage is it? Not one that I want. Believe me I've been guilty on this numerous occasions with: having a brand new baby, sleep deprived, then transitioning from 1 child to 2, then with ministry... and the list goes on. But you know what... God blessed me with an amazing husband! You know how I know this...because I was 19 and my husband was 21 when we got married 11 1/2 years ago! 

It's no coincidence that we've made it this far. God is the one to thank for creating a strong marriage over the years. He created Ryan to be my better half, and for me to be his! Like all marriages we have our ups and downs but one thing we know is that neither of us will ever give on each other. But one thing that I've learned over these 11 1/2 years (and STILL am learning) is that marriage takes work. A constant effort of putting time into each other. I know Ryan knows that I love him, but I want to make sure he knows and FEELS how much I am IN love with him!

 I figured I am probably not the only one who wants to make their marriage even better. So I am going to try to post on Wednesdays some fun ideas that I've found to strengthen our marriages. 

I believe in us wives working together to encourage one another of this!

Many of the ideas I have found are Date Nights IN! I know that it's hard to find sitters to do the ideal "Once a week Date" with your husband. So this will give us a chance to still have date nights on those nights we don't have a sitter. Dates  we can do after we get the kiddos in bed. 

Your husband might even want to help you more on getting the kids bathed and ready for bed if he knows he has a date with you....

So here we go:

Yes I know today being Friday it doesn't give you a lot of time to prepare but you can still make it happen! We can't be lazy, especially when it comes to our marriages. So plan this for tonight or tomorrow night. One of my favorite websites is 

"The Dating Divas" 

They have the best ideas and printables to making dating your husband easy!

For tons of ideas visit their page!

This Date Night is called:  My Choice, Your Choice! 

(All the photos are from The Dating Divas)

Plan: Send your husband a text or email or leave him a note for when he gets home saying: once the kids were in bed, we are going to turn everything off and just be together.   Also tell him, "we both will each choose one treat and a game to play".

Choice #1: A Treat

Give him a couple of options for either you to make something or pick up something easy (candy, cookies, favorite dessert at a restaurant to go)

Choice #2: A Game

So with treats in hand,  pick a board game, card game or wii game.   If it's a board game put on some nice music and lite some candles. No phones/computer. Just focus on the game at hand and of course each other.  There is something to be said about playing a game in candle light.

After enjoying the game. It's your turn. On the Diva's page they 

have printables and a "how to" guide to make this great conversation jar for questions for you and your husband. 

CLICK HERE

Have a great time taking turns and answering questions about yourselves.  Try guessing what the other will say or be surprised.  You are sure to learn something new about your spouse.

Most importantly have fun and enjoy each other!